Ricky Ponting Backs Steve Smith as Opener for Australia in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Amid Selection Dilemma

Former Australian captain and ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting has backed Steve Smith to open the innings for Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, believing he could play a crucial anchoring role at the top of the order. With Australia set to begin their campaign against England in Lahore on February 22, followed by matches against South Africa on February 25 in Rawalpindi and Afghanistan on February 28 in Lahore, the team’s opening combination remains a key talking point.

Ponting discussed Australia’s injury concerns on The ICC Review with host Sanjana Ganesan, highlighting the absence of several key players. Regular skipper Pat Cummins, fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, all-rounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh, and recently retired Marcus Stoinis (from ODIs) are all missing from Australia’s 15-player squad for the tournament.

While Travis Head is expected to hold his spot at the top of the order, the decision on his opening partner remains uncertain. Ponting believes the selectors might consider promoting Smith from his usual No.4 position to an opener, given his success in white-ball cricket. Although Smith has never opened in ODIs across his 151 innings, he has excelled in the role in domestic T20 cricket for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, where he smashed an unbeaten 121 off 64 balls against the Perth Scorchers in January.

The debate over Smith opening is further fueled by the inconsistency of young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has struggled to translate his domestic success into the ODI format. Since making his debut in February 2024, Fraser-McGurk has played seven ODI innings, averaging just 14, with a highest score of 41 off 18 balls against the West Indies in Canberra. Six of those innings came as an opener, but he has yet to establish himself as a reliable option. Other candidates, including Matt Short (197 runs in 13 matches with one fifty) and Josh Inglis (543 runs in 27 ODIs at an average of 23.60 with three fifties in the middle order), have also not cemented their places as Head’s opening partner.

Ponting acknowledged Fraser-McGurk’s potential but admitted that the young batter has not yet shown enough consistency. “Yeah, he is making it harder and harder (for selectors to stick with Fraser-McGurk),” Ponting said. “He has not had the greatest of summers. I mean, there is just so much talent there. There is so much ability and skill that we have not seen consistently enough just yet. And that is one of the big calls (selectors) are going to have to make now as well.”

He further suggested that Smith could be the ideal candidate to stabilize Australia’s top order in a crucial tournament. “Do they think about opening the batting with Steve Smith, which is something that they could actually think about as well, I think, because of how well he has done in white-ball cricket when he has opened the batting,” Ponting stated. “He could be someone that could be an anchor through this Champions Trophy at the top of the order. And you know that with the form that he is in, he’s going to make big runs.”

At the same time, Ponting acknowledged Fraser-McGurk’s game-changing ability if he finds his best form. “Jake is the sort of player that if he does play at his best… he could win a tournament (for Australia). That is what the Australians, I think, would be saying. The coaches would be saying that to him. We will see which way they decide to go at the start of the tournament,” he concluded.